New Music Releases for September 22nd From Pearl Jam, Sea Wolf, and Mika

What to Download: New Music Today

Tuesdays are big in entertainmentville: not only do all the new DVD releases hit Netflix, but new music also pours into stores. So I take a spin through each week's music releases and pick out some albums and tracks worthy of a download.

Still rockin': I was surprised when I heard that Pearl Jam was releasing an album exclusively through Target this past Sunday — huh?! — but Backspacer is a solid, mature showing from the heralded band. The songs are full of introspective lyrics, like an older and wiser Eddie Vedder reflecting back on his life, but most of the tracks are fast-paced with a tinge of punk sound. While a bit of head-banging is fun, I've always preferred Pearl Jam's ballads like "Black" over their heavier stuff, so I'll be downloading "Just Breathe" and "The End."Still waters run deep: Yesterday, we got word that indie artists Sea Wolf made it onto the New Moon soundtrack; now comes their sophomore full-length effort White Water, White Bloom, a mellow album of romanticism. (Perfect for Edward and Bella, no?) Every track has gorgeous storytelling imagery, as singer-songwriter Alex Brown Church constantly weaves in water themes (as his album title and band name hint). The result is something dreamy and lush to listen to on a lazy, sunny day. My favorite tracks: "Wicked Blood,""Dew in the Grass," and "The Orchard."

One more up next, so read more.

Child's play: Those neon outfits, those tight pants, that Freddie Mercury falsetto — everyone knows Mika is a bit outrageous, and his latest album is just as super-charged as his debut. Reportedly inspired by his own adolescence, The Boy Who Knew Too Much is full of that rebellious teenage attitude with the standard Mika dance fever. From the island music of "Blue Eyes" to the nursery rhyme-ish ditty "Toy Boy," it feels light and fizzy, like pop music on Red Bull — and it's just as addictive. You'll either love it or hate it, but as for me, I'll be downloading "We Are Golden" and "By the Time," where he collaborates with Imogen Heap.